Magazine-firearm



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. S. WEST.

MAGAZINE' FIREARM. No. 478,729. nl zh'.PatentredJuly 4 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. S. WEST. mAaAzmgmAnm.

' Patented July 124.. 1392-2-1 JWM-AAS? M9325; Eyn/Md'ww UNITED- STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

DERRICK/S. WEST, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS .ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO CHARLES H. FISH, 0F' MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND JOHN W. DREW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

, MAcAzlNE-FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part 0f Patent N0. 478,729, dated July 12,1892.

Application tllcdHay 20.1892- Scrlal No. 488.870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LDERRICK S. WEST, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in- Breech- Loading Firearms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawingsjs a specication, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a. breech-1oading magazine-gun, the object of the invention be# ing to provide a simple, safe, and rapidlyoperating breech mechanism.

The invention is embodied ina gun having a magazine located beneath the barrel, as is usual in magazine-guns, said barrel and mag azine connecting with a breech frame-piece havinga chamber, hereinafter called the receiver, which communicates with both the barrel and magazine and into which the cartridges are delivered one at a time from the magazine preparatory to being introduced into the barrel for firing. The said receiving-chamber contains the breech-block, which closes the breech at the near of the cartridge, and is operated to open the Vbreech for the removalbf the cartridgeshell and introduction of thenext cartridge, and the receveralso con.` tains a transferrer for carrying the cartridge that enters the receiver from the magazine into position to ente; the barrel, said cartridge then being pressed into the barrel by the action of the breech-block in coming up to close the breech.

In prior applications, Serial No. 396,965, ledJ une 20, 1891, and Serial No. 405,425, tiled September 11, 1891, I have shown and described a breech-loading gun having a twopart breech-block, which when in position to close the breech is interposed with the two parts in line with one another between the rear end of the barrel and an abutment formed in the breech frame-piece at the rear end of the receiver and in line with the barrel. The said two parts of the breech-block are hinged together and the rear part is inclined out oi line with the fore part when thebreech of the gun is to be opened.

In the gun forming the subject of the pres-- ent invention substantially the same two- 5: part breech-block is employed; and the present invention consists, mainly, in details ol construction whereby the means for operating the breech-block are sim pliiied and in details of construction of the means for extracting and ejecting the empty shell, for locking the breech mechanism in closed position, anc for unlocking the same preparatory to reload ing the gun after it has been tired.

In the present invention the locking device for holding the breech mechanism in closec` position in the act 0f tiring iscombined witl the tiring mechanism in such manner that i1 is released by the action of the hammer com ing forward to explode the cartridge, the re lease thus being effected substantially at the instant that the discharge takes place, ant' inasmuch as the pull on the trigger by whicl the hammer is released is in line with th movement of' the handpiece by which th breech mechanism is operated the automath release permits the breech mechanism to star instantly on its movement -to reload the gun the result being that the reloading action i to a large extent automatic and may be per formed with extreme rapidity.

In the organization of the partsthe ham mer and sear work -in aportion of the breecl framepiece which extends down the uppe side of the grip portion of the stock, whili the remainder of the breech mechanism is al connected with an under frame-piece tha mortises into the breech frame-piece of thegul and also extends along the under side of th grip portion of the stock, such arrangemen affording great facility in the assembling c the gun and taking it apart for cleaning, n The fore part of the breech-block travel backward and forward in a suitable guidei the receiver in line with the barrel, movin back far enough to receive a loaded cartridg between it and the rear end of the barre The rear part of the breech-block is pivo ally connected at its forward end with th sliding fore part and is connected at its rea end by a link with a bandpiece that carrie the'trigger-guard and trigger and has a sli' ing movement in a guide in the frame in tl under portion of the grip of the stock, sai handpiece being the actuating part by whit the operator manipulates the gun. Backwal iovement of the handpecc causes the rear nd of the rear portion of the breech-block to rop from in front of the abutment,thus pernitting the entire breech-block to move to the car, the rear portionbeing drawn-'by the iandpiece and itself drawing the front por- .ion backward in its straight guideway. In his backward movement the rear portion off .he breech-block engages the hammer and moves it to full-cock position? at'wh-ich it is :eid by the sear. Near the end of its rearward movement the fore part of the breechblock engages tlie cartridge s carrier, upon which a cartridge has been' introduced from the magazine during the act of sliding the breech-block to the rear, and by said engagement the carrier is moved so as to carry the fore end of the cartridge up into line with the breech of the gun, so that at the forward movement of the breech-block the cartridge is in serted in the barrel. 'Ihe handpiece carries a locking device, which is a pivoted bolt that is drawn into engagement with a shoulder in the under frame as the handpiece reaches its extreme forward position in which the breech of the gun is closed, and the trigger which travels with the hand piece is brought into engagement with the sear, so that the hammer can be released by pulling the trigger, and the hammer at the end of its forward movement disengages the said lock, as before stated. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the breech portion of the gun embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation showing the breech frame-piece in central longitudinal section and the remainder of the breech mechanism and frame in side elevation with 'the parts in the position occupied when the breech is open preparatory t the introduction of the cartridge; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section of the breech mechanism, on a larger scale, with the said mechanism lin the position occupied when the breech is closed and the gun ready to tire; Fig. 4, a longitudinal horizontal section of the receiver-chamber and fore part of the breech-block, illustrating the shell-ejector mechanism. Figs. 5, 6, and 7, transverse sections at the lines m a. of Fig.3; Fig. 8, a front end elevationvof the i breech-block; Fig. 9, a front elevation of the.

end of the cartridge-carrier; Fig. 10, a sectional detail on line wl, Fig. 3; Fig. 11, a longitndinal sectional detail of the main breech frame-piece with the under frame-piece and 5 connected breech mechanism removed; Fig.

12, aside elevation of the under breech framepiece and working parts connected therewith detached from the remainder of the gun; Fig. .13, a sideelevation of the locking device and o releasing device co-operating therewith; Fig.

14, an end view thereof; Fig. 15, a side elevation of Vthe trigger detached; Fig. 16, an end elevation thereof; Fig. `17, a detail of the guideway for the handpicce, showing its lock- 5 ing-shoulder.

The barrel a and magazineb may be of sub stantially-the usual construction, being connected with' the breech frame-piece c, which has a rearward extension or tang c', that extends d own, the upper part of the grip of the stock being mortised or sunk into the stock, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The said breech frame-piece is hollow and affords a cartridge-receiving chamber at the rear of the larrel and magazine, in which receiver the cartridge is transferred from the magazine to the barrel. The said receiver also containsa portion of the breech mechanism and has at its rear end an abutment c', between which and the breech of the gun-barrel the breechblock is introduced when the gun is ready for ring, as shown in Fig. 3. The top and side walls of the said breech frame-piece are completely closed and continuous, as shown, except that one of the said side walls, preferably the right-hand one, is provided with an opening c c5, as best shown in Fig. 1, the portion c of which is closed byaremovable plate c, secured in position by screws c7, while the portion c4 contains a sliding cover c, that works in longitudinal guides at the rear of the iixed plate c, the said cover c being provided wit an inwardly-projecting stud c entering a slot or notch co in the fore part d of the breech-block, so that the said cover c is moved forward and backward with the breechblock, leaving the receiver accessible through the opening c4 when the breech-block is -re.

tracted, so that the cartridge-shell, which is extracted from the barrel, may be ejected through said opening upon the withdrawal of the breech-block by the ejectng mechanism, which will be hereinafter described. A single cartridge may be introduced in the said opening c to load the gun, if desired, instead of taking a cartridge from the magazine. The under portion of the breech frame-piece c isitself open, but receives tightly within it a. portion of the under framepiece e, upon which the greater part of the breech mechanism is assembled. (See Fig. 12.) The fore end of the said frame-piece e (the outline of -which is indicated by dotted lines', Fig. 1) is fastened in said frame-piece c by a screw e', while the rear end of said frame e is mortised into the under part of the grip of the stock, as shown in Fig. 1, and is connected with the tang por tion c of the breech framepiece by a screw e8 (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) passing through the wood of the stock. Thefore end of the frame-pieces is provided with win gs e', that entera suitable mortise in the frame-piececand between which is pivoted the rear end of the carrier f, the pivotal connection being by a tube or bushing f through which the fastening-screw e passes. Thus when the screw e is withdrawn for the purpose of separating the frame-piece e from the frame-piece c thecar.

rier remains pivotally connected with they said f rame-piece e, as will beunderstood from Figs. 2, 5, and 12. The hub or pivotal portion f3 of said carrier is provided with notches acted upon by a spring f as shown in Fig. 3, tending to hold it in one of the two positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it being in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the gun is closed, so thata cartridge -will he pressed ont of the magazine bythe nsual'magazine-spring upon the said carrieres soon as the breech-block is withdrawn, said' breech-block having a downward projection d, which retains the cartridges in the magazine while the breechis closed, as shown in Fig. 3. The said carrier has above its pivot f2 wings f,"between which the breech-block works, .the said wings being engaged by' shoulders d8 on the breechblock d as the latter arrives at its rearward position, (see Fig. 2,) and thus: causing the l carriertobe thrown up into the position shown in-Fig. 2, thus lifting the fore end of the cartridge (that has entered above it from4 the magazine, as beforestated) intoline with thel breech of the gun, so as vto be inserted therein by the breech-block d at its next forward movement, as will be readily understood from Fig. 2.`

The carrier is provided with a retaining projection f6, which-.is the' end of a spring thatprojects from the under side of the forward end` of the carrier, as shownin Figs. 2.

and 9, and thus prevents the cartridges from comingA out from the magazine when the Vejector isin elevated position, asshown in Fig. 2. The said spring, however, yields when the cartridges are pressed forward beneath' it fromv the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, in the operation of loading the magazine. The said spring is seated in a longitudinal bore, which opens into the upper face of the carrier, constituting for the most part a groove to receive the shank of. the spring, and also opens at the lowerpart-at the front end to permit the spring to act, but` leaving a bridge f" above the yielding end of the spring,.as. shown in Figs. 3-and 9, which preventsoverstraining of the spring.

The lower forward. part of the receiver-I chamber near the magazine is-made wider,

than necessaryto receive the cartridge within it, as bestshown in Fig. 6, and the carrier is provided with lateral projecting ribs fs, (see Fig. 6,) which iill the said space and which engage with inclined shoulders 08 (best shown in Figs. 3 and 6) when the carrier is in its elevated position, said shoulders thus positively limiting the upward movement of the carrier.

Such widening of the lower part of the receiver adjacent to the rear end of the magazine greatly facilitates the introduction of the cartridges into the magazine, as it aiords ample room for the thumb of the operator to follow the cartridge from the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, until its rear end passes the retaining projection f, and is thus retained in the magazine until removed therefrom in the operation of loading.

The side walls of the receiver are provided with guide -grooves g, the lwer edges of which are justin line with the upper edges of the wings et at the fore end of the frame-piece e. -when in working position,as shown in FigS.

.as shown, the said ribs d* of the breech-blook d Eare practically disengaged from th'egrooves g of the receiver when the said block is in its rearmost position, asshown in Fig. 2, so that it can bewithdrawn with the frame-piece e through the mortise or' opening in the under part of the frame-piece c. 4In other words, with` the. parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 the frame-piece e, together with the carrier f, breech-block d, andthe handpiece, and devices to be hereinafter described, connecting it with the breech-block, may all be removed together from the frame-piece c by merely withdrawing the sc ews e2 and es.

The fore part d of the breech-block that operatesin the guides g, as before stated,.is held rigidly against the' breech of the barrel by the rear part hof said breech-block, which is pivotally connected at h2 with the fore part. d, and is provided with a seat hs at its rear end to engage the abutment cs at the rear end of the receiver, the said fore. and rear parts of the block d hin this position being in rigid contact with one another, and with the said abutment constituting a rigid metal support to close the rear end of the barrel and receive the recoil-pressure of the cartridge.

The rear end of the rear portion h of the wech-block is pivotally connected with a link i, which is itself pivotally connected at 2"* with theoperating-handle for the'breech mechanism, shown as a handpieoeJc, which works in alongitudinal guide e in the under framepiece e of the breech mechanism. The

said handpiece k is provided with a suitablyshaped loop k2 to receive the fingers of the hand of the operator, who can thusY easily move the said handpiece forward and back in its guide e", the said forward movement pushing the link 'i and breech-block d hbefore it, and finally bringing the,two portionsof the breech-block in line with one another and in rigid contact from the breecliof .the barrel to lthe abutment. cias shown in Fig. 3, in which position-the link'i stands nearly vertically from the handpiece Ic to the breech-block h, thus holding the latter securely up against the abutment c, which, with the adjacent end of the breech-block, is slightly inclined to the line of the axis of the barrel, to facilitate the dropping of the rear end of the breech-block h when the breech is to be opened, the inclination, however, being insuiiicient to permit the breech-block to yield under direct rearward pressure applied at the forward end of the portion d of the said breech-block. The pivot 'is that joins the link i and the breechblock h projects slightly from the sides ofthe.

Ill

said breech-block, so as to engage with a guidegroove e, (see Figs. 3 and 7,) formed partially in the breech-frame piece c and partially in the under frame-piece e, and servin to properly guide Vthe rear end of the breec -block h in its movement toward and from the abutment c,"the` said guide rst causing the r r end of the breechblock to drop substantial y vertically from the position-at the front of the seat c8 to a point below the seat, (when the handpiece k is moved to the rearward to open the breech,) and then guiding the rear end of the VVbreech-block substantially in line with and below the rearward extension c* of the frame-piece to the position shown in Fig. '2. The said handpiece k also carries the trigger 'm by which the gun is fired, the said trigger being pivoted at 'm2 in the handpiece and having an upwardly-extending portion m3 that engages the sear that controls the hammer, as will be hereinafter described.

In order to insure the firm holding of` the breech-block during the discharge, the hand piece k is locked in its forward position, Fig. 3, b a locking device n .(shown as a lock or bolt that works ina recess lo in the handpece and bears against the upper wall of the guide e5 for the handpiece'as the latter travels in said guide. The lock n is carried by a i thin plate n, which works in the upper part ms of the trigger, which is forked to receive the said plate, as shown in Fig. 7. (See also Figs. 13 to 16.)

Near the forward end of the guide e5 is a shoulder e", (see Fig. 17,) over which the lock ing-bolt passes as the handpiece arrives atits forward position with the breech completely closed, the said bolt engaging with thv said shoulder, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus preventing rearward A movement of the handpiece and opening of the breech until thel said bolt n is pressed down into line with the groove e". 1

The lockcarrying plate 'n2 is pivoted at mv on the same pivot as the trigger, said trigger" and lock being capable of independent movement on the said pivot and having a spring ln" interposed between them, so as to tend to throw the upper part ms of the trigger downward-that is, to throw the trigger itself forward-and tending to throw the lock n upward, so that the said lock bears against the upper wall of the guide el5 as it travels therein and is thrown up past the shoulder as soon as it arrives in line therewith, its upward movement being arrested by the shoulder e", and thus leaving the spring tn.s acting to hold the trigger forward and downward. A portion ms of the trigger stands under the bolt n, and thus prevents the trigger from being pulled as long as the bolt n remains in the gude-groove e5; but when the said bolt is thrown up over the shoulder e7 to lock the handpiece and breech mechanism it permits a snicient movement of the trigger to operate the sear and release the hammer. Thus the locking device n locks the trigger, so that and said locking device then locks the breechmechanism, but unlocks or releases the trigger. A downward pressure on the'upper ond of the plate n (which is within the forked upper end of the trigger, as before stated) will, however, disengage the lock and release the handpiece, so that the breech may be opened and the gun reloaded. y

The parts thus far described cooperate with the hammer o, which is substantially a round bolt (best shown in Fig. 2) working in a longitudinal .bore 4in the tang cl of the breech frame-piece, the mainspring oz being interposed between the rear end o f said bolt and a rear support, shown as a screw e", turn- .ing into the rear end of the bore in the piece far enough to permit the fasteningscrew es to pass through the said frame-piece czat the rear of the said screw o". The forward end of the hammer is of reduced diameter, as shown at o, to pass through an opening in the rear abutment ca of the receiver to act upon the tiring -pin composed of two sections p p2, working in suitable bores in the two sections d h of the breech-block, so that when the breech-block is closed the sections of the fir-Y ing-pin are in line and in contact from the point at the front of the hammer opening in the rear abutment to the primer of the cartridge, so that the blow of the forward end o of the hammer will explode the cartridge in the usual manner.

The portion p of the tiring-pin has its longitudinal movement limited, as usual, by a transverse pin p (see Fig. 3) crossinganotch in the side of the firing-pin, and the portion p of the firing-pin has a vertical notch cut in its side, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 and in dotted lines Fig. 3, which is engaged by a linger h", formed on the rear portion h of the breech-block, sothat thedroppingof said rear portion of the breech-block on its pivot in the act of opening the gun positively retracts the fore part p of the iiringpin and prevents the possibility of premature explosion of the-cab tridge in the act of closing thebreech, as might occur if the firing-pin were not positively retracted and happened to stick in the forward position in which it was left after ring the last cartridge.

The fore-end of the hammer has pivotally connected with it at o" a projecting finger o', that extends through a longitudinal slot in the under p art'of the rear-extension cof the breech framepiece in position to be engaged by the upper rear corner of the rear portion h of the breech-block as it is drawn back from the closed to open position, the line of movement of the corner of the breech-block being very slightly divergent from that of the dercut half-cock notch ot3 pin oo, so that the hammer can enough'to cover the slot mer. The said hammer is provided with a full-cock notch o?, which is engaged by th-e sear r, pivoted at r2, and acted upon bya spring r3, that tendsto throw its end into engagement with the notch of the hammer, which may also be provided, as shown, with an unif it is desired to leave the hammer at half-cock, and the said hammer is also provided with a handle o, working on top of the frame-piece czand having a tongue whichA passes through the longitudinal slot in the said frame-piece and is mortised into the hammer and fastened by a be controlled by hand, if desired, for cooking or letting it down in the usual manner. .The said fingerpiece extends along the frame piece far in the frame-piece in all positions of the hammer.

The tang c2 of the breech frame-piece is provided with a transverse bore, (best shown in Fig. 3,) through which the pivot-pin o5 of the cooking-linger o and the fastening-pin 01 for the mortise of the cocking-handle o9 may be driven intoplace or driven out in the operation of assembling or taking apart the gun,

it being necessary in assembling to first introdnce the hammer in its bore and then to introduce the cooking-linger and tongue of the cooking-handle through their proper slots in the frame-piece and fasten them to the,

hammer by driving in the pins.

In the act of opening the breech the hammer is moved to full-cock by the engagement of the breech-block and finger o6, asbefore described, and is caught and held there by the scar engaged with the notch o7,

o is loosely connected with the hammer byy carryngthe and the finger the pivot o, so that it can turn forward slightly, so as not to bear on the breech-block when it is moved forward to close the gun, the said breech-block in the cooking operation necessary to bring the notch o7 over the sear in order to insure certainty of engagement by the sear.

- When the breech mechanism is locked by the locking device 'n in closed position ready for ring the gun,

the rear end 'ms of the trigger is immediately under the sear, as shown in Fig. 3, so that pulling the trigger disen` gages the hammer and red in the usual manner.

thereon a lockreleasing device t, the lower end of which lies directly over the up er end of the lock-plate n2 (see Figs. 3 and 7 when the breech is closed, while the upper end of said releasing device t enters a groeve in the under part of the hammer, the rear end of position in the act which groove is curved down, forming a cam, as shown at t2, Figs. 2 and 11, so that just as the hammer arrives at the extreme forward cam t2 presses the releasing device t downhammer a little farther back than of ring the gun the saidY ward against the locking-plate n?, depressing the latter and the locking-bolt n olf from the locking-shoulder e?, so that theI handpiece k may be moved to the rear. As the hammer is permitted to strike by the operation -of pulling the trigger and the explosion is almostfinstantaueous after the pull of the trigger, the unlocking of the handpiece k takes place almost simultaneously with the explosion, and as the operator is pulling to the rearward on the trigger the handpiece will immediately move back, so that the operator by a slight additional exertion will quickly draw it wholly to the rear and open the breech of the gun preparatory to reloading by the return forward movement of the handpiece. Such release, however, although following the discharge at an almost inappreciable interval of time, is never quick enough to permit the removal of the breech-block to make it ineffective to withstand the shock of the explosion, although there appears to be some gaspressure exerted on the cartridge-shell after the unlocking takes place, which contributes to the rearward movement of the breech-block produced by the operator,and thus makes the act of-opening the breech and ejecting the shell of the tired cartridge preparatory to reloading to a large extent automatic and far more rapid than with breech mechanism that is operated by a swinging lever, in which the movement for opening the gun is in the opposite direction to the pull of the trigger, and thus requires a distinctly different muscular action of the operator instead of what is merely a prolongation of the action by which the gun is discharged, as is the case with the present gun.

The shell extracting and ejecting mechanism is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It consists of a bolt u, working in the forward end of the fore part d of the breech-block and pressed forward by a stout spring u', Fig. 3. The fore part p2 of the tiring-pin works through the lower part of this bolt, the front end of which is thus of suicient size to engage with a considerable portion of the rear end of the cartridge,(see Fig. 8,) and is pressed back flush with the front end of the breech-block by the reaction of the cartridge when the breechblock is forced up to closed position, the front endof thebreech-blockbeing recessed slightly, as shown, to receive the rim of the cartridge within it. (See Fig. 3.)

At the side of the breech-block adjacentto' the opening c in the side of the frame is placed the extractor us, (shown as a forkshaped spring,) one branch of which passes into a longitudinal opening from the rear of the block d, while the other branch extends along the side of the block, which may bev slightly grooved to receive it, and is provided with a shoulder u, that engages the forward end of the block to hold the ejector in place therein, and with a second shoulder u at the rear of the beveled end u,which second shoulder engages with the rim of the cartridge fhen the breech-block is closed, the inclined nd springing the ejector outward to cause ls shoulder 14.5 to pass over the rim of the artridge as the breech-block comes to closed osition. When the breech-block is drawn tack, the shoulder u hooking over the rim tf the cartridge-shell extracts it from the barel in the usual manner, and it Yalso consti` utes a fulcrum about which the shell may urn under the action of the. spring,r bolt, Ijector u, the spring-pressure of which tends o turn the cartridge-shell 'from `the full `to he dotted line position, Fig. 4, and ita is so urned the instant the `fore end of the car` yridge-shell in ,its movement of extraction :lears the rear end of th,e barrel, the spring yhus giving the shell a. sudden movement 'rom the full toward the dotted line position' iy which it is thrown out from the opening a, which is then uncovered 'by the slide e8.

In order to assist the ejector action in case '.he cartridge should stick, thc side of the reieiver opposite to the opening c4 is provided with a projection ul, which in the rearward novementof the block d would (if the spring- Jolt failed to act) engage with the head of ,he cartridge-shell at the side opposite to the )art engaged by the extractor, and thus tend :o turn the cartridge in the same direction ',hat the ejector-spring tends to turn it, as be- ;'ore described, and as the opening movement if the breechis usually a quick one the shell will be thrown out with absolute certainty.

The operation of the gun may be hrieily described as follows, assuming the magazine to be full and a shot to have been already tired: The hammer is in the forward position and the lock 'n is therefore depressed by the device tand the handpiece unlocked. The operator then pulls the liandpiece to the rear to its full extent, bringing the partsv to the position shown in Fig. 2, (dotted lines, Fig. 1,) `in which moveiuent the extractor and ejector removes and throws out the shell `of the cartridge last tired and the magazinespring presses a new cartridge out from the magazine, the head of said cartridge bearing against and following the projection d at the front.ends of the breech-block until just as the latter arrives at the rear position its shouldereds engage the wings f5 of the carrier, lifting its forward end, and thus bringing the cartridge which has been pressed from the magazine out upon it into position with its forward end in line with the barrel. In this movement the rear end of the rear part of the breech-bolt hasbrought the hammer to full-cock by acting on the linger 0. Then the operator moves ,the handpiece forward, the projection d2 and front end of the breech-block forcing the cartridge ahead of it into the gun-barrel, and bothy parts of the breech-block being finally brought into line with one another and against the abutment c8 and the handpiece being locked in this position by the lock n. In this closing movement the link t', acting on the wings f5, turns the carrier back to its lowermost or normal position, and the projection d2 then holds the column of cartridges in the magazine until the next operation. In the final part of the forward movement of the breech-block the spring-ejector bolt u is pressed `baclrhush' with the breech-block andthe extractor-shoulder u carried over the edge of the riin of the cartridge. The gun is then tired luy-pulling the trigger and the seriesof operations just described repeated when desired to fire the gun again. said operations requiring only a single backward and forward movement of 8o the hand of the operator, which can be made in an extremely-short interval of time.

The herein-described construction et the frame and mechanism contained therein is very safe,asall the inovingparts of thebreech mechanism are inclosed in a substantially solid walled chamber having only.the open- .ing for the ejection of the shells,which opening is on the side awayfrom the person tiring the gun, so that if there should be an acer dental explosion of a cartridge inthe receiver or any failure in the breech mechanism to operate properly such explosion could not 1njure the user of the gun, as none of the moving parts could get out of the frame except through the side opening.

The arrangement by which. all the operating parts of the breech mechanism, except the hammer, may be connected in operative position and assembled on the under framepiece e while out of the gun is very convenient., as by the simple removal of the two fasteningscrews e2 e3 the entire mechanism maybe withdrawn without separation and rendered accessible for the purpose of "cleaning, &c.

I claim- 1. The combination of the main frame-piece constituting a receiver connected with the breech of the barrel and provided with an abutment at its rear end -with the under frame piece and two part jointed breech-I block, and means. for operating the same, connected with said under frame-piecegasudescribed, whereby said under framepiece and the breech-block-and its operatingm anismmay be removed without separation from the main breech f rame-piece, substantially as described. Y

2. The combination of the main breech frame-piece constituting a receiver communicating with the barrel and magazine and provided with an abutment at the rear of said receiver in line with the barrel with the under frame-piece and carrier pivotally connected therewith and the breech-block and its actuating mechanism connected with the said under frame-piece for removal without separation of its parts from said main breech frame-piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a breech-loading firearm, the barrel and receiver connected therewith, having an abutmentat its rear end in line with the barrel, and a two-part breech-block having its IIO front and rear sections hinged together and adapted to be interposed in line with one another between the breech of the barrel and said abutment, 'combined with operating means l; for withdrawing the said breech-block from the breech of the gun and for moving it into position betweenthe breech and the abutment, a lock-for holding the said operating means, with the breech-block, in closed position, a firing-hammer, and releasing device for said lock, operated by said hammer, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the main breech frame-piece connected with the breech ofthe barrel and provided with an abutment-at the rear thereof with the twopart jointed breechblock and sliding handpiece connected therewith, the trigger pivoted in said slidinghandpiece, and a lock co-operating with the said j 2o trigger and handpiece, as described, to lock the trigger, except when the breech is closed,

and to lock the handpiece and release the trigger when the breech is closed, substantially as described.

frame-.piece connected with thebreech of the barrel and provided with an abutment at the -rear thereof, the breech-block and actuating handpiece connected therewith,l the trigger 3o co operating -with said handpiece, as described, to lock the breech-block in closed position, and the releasing device for said lock operated by the hammer, substantially as de scribed. j

6. The combination of the hammer with the l, sea'r having a forked trigger-engaging end, the l breech-block and mechanism for operating 5; Vthe same, the trigger and lock connected with the said .breech-block-operating mechanism, said trigger having a forked scar-engaging end, and the releasing device rforsaid lock, working in the forked engaging end of :the

tially as described. j

m7. The combination of thebreech-block with the extractor, consistinglo a forked ,spring having v.one branch of the fork in a' longitudinal bore in the breech-block and the other branch of the fork extending along the side of the breech-block and projecting beyond the forward end thereof and providedwith a shoul-4 der and inclined at its forward end to engage connected with the said handpiece, andlock j v l sliding cover, the topside andjrear walls of prs'ear and operated bvthe haminer,substan stantially as described.rv l

9.l The combination of the magazine and barrel and breech frame-piece constituting a receiver in which the cartridges are transferred from the magazine to the barrel, with the carrier f, pivoted at its rear end 1n said receiver, and the spring-retainer f6, fastened at its rear end to the said carrier and having its forward spring end projecting belowr the forward end of the carrier to act as a stop to prevent escape of cartridges from the magazine when the carrier is in position to guide the cartridge above it into'the gun-barrel, said projecting end being adapted to yield to permit cartridges tobe introduced into the magazine below said carrier, substantially as del scribed. 5. The combination of the main breech 10. The breech frame-piece constituting a receiver and the barrel and magazine communicating therewith, said frame-piece being open at its 'under side, combined with the pivoted carrier f, having laterallyproj ecting ribs f8 along the lower edges of its side, the said receiver having its lower portion widened to receive said ribs and being provided with shoulders o8 to engage said ribs and limit the pivotal upward'movement of the carrier, substantially as described.

11. The breech frame-piece constituting a receiver closed at the top and provided with 9o an abutment at its rear end and having one of its `side walls provided with anl opening, combined .with a sliding cover for said open ing and a breech-block longitudinallyvmovable insaid receiver and engaged with said `lsaid' receiverbeing otherwise closed-and continuous, substantially as described.`l 1 Y In l'testimony whereof I` have signed my twos'ubscribing witnesses.

fnameto this specification in the vpresence of I o v DERRICK S.v WEST.

Witnesses: l

Jos. P. LIVERMORE, M. E. HILL. 

